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The Mediterranean Games

A Legacy of Sport and Unity

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Historical Context

Genesis of the Games

The concept for the Mediterranean Games originated with Muhammed Taher Pasha, then-chairman of the Egyptian Olympic Committee and a vice-president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC). He proposed the idea during the 1948 London Olympics, with support from Ioannis Ketseas, the Greek IOC member. Prior to the official Games, informal competitions like the Mediterranean Athletics Championships and the Mediterranean Cup football competition were held, foreshadowing the larger event.

Formalization and Organization

The inaugural Mediterranean Games took place in Alexandria, Egypt, in October 1951, featuring 734 athletes from 10 nations across 13 sports. During the 1955 Barcelona Games, the decision was made to establish a governing body. This materialized on June 16, 1961, with the formation of the International Committee of Mediterranean Games (CIJM), headquartered permanently in Athens, Greece.

Calendar Evolution

Initially, the Mediterranean Games were held one year prior to the Summer Olympic Games. However, this schedule shifted after the 1993 Games in Languedoc-Roussillon, France. Since then, the Games have been held the year following the Summer Olympics, with a further adjustment in 2018 to align with the mid-even year between Olympic cycles.

Participating Nations

Geographic Scope

The Mediterranean Games bring together athletes from nations bordering the Mediterranean Sea, spanning Africa, Asia, and Europe. Currently, 26 countries officially participate. These include nations from North Africa (Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, Tunisia), the Levant (Lebanon, Syria), and numerous European countries.

Expanding Membership

The list of participating nations has evolved over time. Kosovo was admitted in October 2015 and debuted in 2018. Notably, Portugal, Andorra, San Marino, Serbia, and North Macedonia (formerly part of Yugoslavia) participate despite not directly bordering the Mediterranean, reflecting broader sporting and cultural ties. The Vatican City has also made unofficial appearances.

Notable Absences and Discussions

Israel and Palestine, despite bordering the Mediterranean, have not historically participated. Discussions regarding their potential inclusion have occurred, highlighting the complex geopolitical landscape. The CIJM is actively considering opening membership discussions for both National Olympic Committees.

Chronicle of Editions

Host Cities and Years

The Mediterranean Games have been hosted by various coastal cities across the region. Most host cities are situated directly on the Mediterranean coast, with Casablanca being a notable exception on the Atlantic coast. The table below details each edition, including the host city, dates, opening dignitary, number of participating nations, athletes, sports, events, and the top-ranked country in the medal table.

No Year Host City Dates Opened by Nations Competitors Sports Events Top Country On
Medal Table
Men Women Total
1 1951 Egypt Alexandria 5 - 20 October Farouk I 10 734 --- 734 14 91 Italy Italy
2 1955 Spain Barcelona 15 - 25 July Francisco Franco 10 1135 --- 1135 20 102 France France
3 1959 Lebanon Beirut 11 - 23 October Fuad Chehab 11 792 --- 792 17 106 France France
4 1963 Italy Naples 21 - 29 September Antonio Segni 13 1057 --- 1057 17 93 Italy Italy
5 1967 Tunisia Tunis 8 - 17 September Habib Bourguiba 12 1211 38 1249 14 93 Italy Italy
6 1971 Turkey İzmir 6 - 17 October Cevdet Sunay 14 1235 127 1362 18 137 Italy Italy
7 1975 Algeria Algiers 23 August - 6 September Houari Boumédiène 15 2095 349 2444 19 160 Italy Italy
8 1979 Yugoslavia Split 15 - 29 September Josip Broz Tito 14 2009 399 2408 26 192 Yugoslavia Yugoslavia
9 1983 Morocco Casablanca 3 - 17 September Hassan II 16 1845 335 2180 20 162 Italy Italy
10 1987 Syria Latakia 11 - 25 September Hafez al-Assad 18 1529 467 1996 19 162 Italy Italy
11 1991 Greece Athens 28 June - 12 July Konstantinos Karamanlis 18 2176 586 2762 24 217 Italy Italy
12 1993 France Languedoc-Roussillon 16 - 27 June François Mitterrand 19 1994 604 2598 24 217 France France
13 1997 Italy Bari 13 - 25 June Oscar Luigi Scalfaro 21 2166 790 2956 27 234 Italy Italy
14 2001 Tunisia Tunis 2 - 15 September Zine El Abidine Ben Ali 23 1972 1019 2991 23 230 France France
15 2005 Spain Almería 24 June - 3 July Juan Carlos I 21 2126 1077 3203 27 258 Italy Italy
16 2009 Italy Pescara 25 June - 5 July Renato Schifani 23 2183 1185 3368 28 244 Italy Italy
17 2013 Turkey Mersin 20 - 30 June Recep Tayyip Erdoğan 24 1994 1070 3064 27 264 Italy Italy
18 2018 Spain Tarragona 22 June - 1 July Felipe VI 26 2180 1468 3648 28 246 Italy Italy
19 2022 Algeria Oran 25 June - 6 July Abdelmadjid Tebboune 26 2014 1284 3298 24 244 Italy Italy
20 2026 Italy Taranto 23 August - 3 September President of Italy (expected) Future Event
21 2030 Kosovo Pristina 24 July - 4 August President of Kosovo (expected) Future Event

All-Time Medal Performance

Dominant Nations

The Mediterranean Games have a rich history of athletic competition, reflected in the cumulative medal standings. Italy consistently leads the overall medal table, demonstrating sustained excellence across numerous editions. France and Turkey follow, showcasing strong regional participation and success. The table below provides a detailed breakdown of medals won by participating nations from 1951 to 2022.

Rank Team Games Gold Silver Bronze Total
1  Italy 19 924 791 747 2462
2  France 19 652 600 569 1821
3  Turkey 19 386 269 315 970
4  Spain 19 345 474 569 1388
5  Greece 19 200 257 349 806
6  Yugoslavia* 12 199 177 182 558
7  Egypt 17 156 209 255 620
8  Tunisia 17 89 101 159 349
9  Algeria 15 86 76 131 293
10  Morocco 17 72 90 116 278
11  Croatia 8 57 69 79 205
12  Slovenia 8 55 64 99 218
13  Serbia 5 54 51 58 163
14  Syria 17 32 42 76 150
15  United Arab Republic** 1 23 21 30 74
16  Cyprus 11 19 21 25 65
17  Albania 10 11 19 18 48
18  Lebanon 18 10 23 42 75
19  Portugal 2 10 18 21 49
20  Bosnia and Herzegovina 8 6 8 25 39
21  Kosovo 2 6 1 3 10
22  San Marino 10 5 10 8 23
23  Montenegro 4 4 8 10 22
24  North Macedonia 3 3 2 9 14
25  Libya 13 2 1 14 17
26  Malta 19 1 4 4 9
27  Monaco 15 1 3 1 5
28  Andorra 5 0 0 0 0
29  Jordan*** 1 0 0 0 0
Total 19 3408 3409 3914 10731

* Yugoslavia competed in 1997 and 2001 as FR Yugoslavia.
** The UAR included Egypt and Syria at the time.
*** Honorary participation in Tunis 2001.

Featured Sports

Diverse Disciplines

The Mediterranean Games showcase a wide array of sports, reflecting the diverse athletic interests of the participating nations. Over its history, 34 different sports have been featured. These range from traditional Olympic disciplines like Athletics and Swimming to regional favorites and newer additions.

SportYears
3x3 basketballSince 2018
ArcherySince 1971
AthleticsSince 1951
BadmintonSince 2013
BasketballSince 1951
Beach volleyballSince 2005
BocceSince 1997
BoxingSince 1951
CanoeingSince 1979
CyclingSince 1955
DivingSince 1951
EquestrianSince 1955
SportYears
FencingSince 1951
Field hockeySince 1955
FootballSince 1951
GolfSince 1983
GymnasticsSince 1951
HandballSince 1967
JudoSince 1971
KarateSince 1993
Roller hockeySince 1955
RowingSince 1951
Rugby unionSince 1955
SailingSince 1955
SportYears
ShootingSince 1951
SwimmingSince 1951
Table tennisSince 1971
TaekwondoSince 2013
TennisSince 1963
VolleyballSince 1959
Water poloSince 1951
WaterskiingSince 2009
WeightliftingSince 1951
WrestlingSince 1951

Mediterranean Sports Federations

Governing Bodies

The organization and regulation of sports within the Mediterranean Games framework involve numerous specialized Mediterranean Sports Federations. These bodies oversee the technical aspects of their respective sports, ensuring adherence to international standards and facilitating the development of athletes across the Mediterranean region. As of 2018, 19 such federations were recognized.

  1. Confédération Méditerranéenne d'Escrime (COMES)
  2. Confédération Méditerranéenne d'Haltérophilie (MWC)
  3. Confédération Méditerranéenne de Handball (MHC)
  4. Mediterranean Committee of Associated Wrestling Styles (CMLA)
  5. Union Européenne et Méditerranéenne de Tir a l'arc (EMAU)
  6. Confederation of Mediterranean Badminton (COMEBA)
  7. Confédération Méditerranéenne de Wakeboard et Ski Nautique (MWWC)
  8. Ligue Méditerranéenne de Football
  9. Mediterranean Karate Federations Union
  10. Union Méditerranéenne de Voile
  11. Confédération Méditerranéenne de Natation (C.O.ME.N.)
  12. Union Méditerranéenne de Tennis de Table (UMTT)
  13. Union méditerranéenne de Taekwondo
  14. Confédération Méditerranéenne de Gymnastique
  15. Fédération Méditerranéenne de WUSHU
  16. Union de la Méditerranée des sports de Boules
  17. Union Méditerranéenne d'Athlétisme
  18. Union des Fédérations Méditerranéennes des Activités Subaquatiques
  19. Confederation of Mediterranean Orienteering Federations (COMOF)

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References

References

  1.  ÎµÏ†. "Αθλητική Ημέρα", Μάιος 1935.
  2.  Mediterranean Cup and Games. RSSSF. Retrieved 2019-08-16.
  3.  The games must go on: Avery Brundage and the Olympic movement, Allen Guttmann, page 225.
A full list of references for this article are available at the Mediterranean Games Wikipedia page

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Academic Disclaimer

Important Notice

This content has been generated by an Artificial Intelligence model for educational and informational purposes. It is based on data sourced from Wikipedia and aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the Mediterranean Games. While efforts have been made to ensure accuracy and clarity, this content should not be considered definitive or a substitute for official documentation.

This is not official sports commentary or advice. The information presented here is intended for academic study and general understanding. Always consult official sources and governing bodies for the most current and accurate information regarding the Mediterranean Games.

The creators of this page are not liable for any inaccuracies, omissions, or actions taken based on the information provided herein.